Your rights

Section 8 housing: who qualifies, the income limits and how to apply

FEDERALA federal HUD program run by about 2,000 local public housing agencies. Each agency sets its own waiting list, preferences and payment standards within HUD’s rules.Checked by the Justice legal team against official sources · Last reviewed Nov 1, 20263 free tools on this page

Short answer

Section 8, the Housing Choice Voucher program, pays part of your rent in a private home you choose. Most families qualify only if their income is at or under 50% of the area median, and 75% of new vouchers go to families at or under 30%. You usually pay about 30% of your adjusted income. Apply at your housing agency.

Calculator

Is your household under the Section 8 income limit?

1. Where do you live?

2. How many people will live with you?

3. Your household’s total yearly income, before taxes

Pick your area and household size, then type your household’s yearly income.

Rehearse the eligibility interview All three limits, and how to read your own county

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Key points

Who qualifies: Income at or under HUD’s very low-income limit (50% of the area median) in most cases, citizenship or eligible immigration status, and the agency’s screening. At least 75% of new vouchers go to families at or under 30% of the median.
The limits: For a family of four in 2026: $84,800 in New York City, $83,300 in Los Angeles County, $60,750 in Chicago, $52,000 in Houston (50% limits, effective May 1, 2026).
Your rent: You pay the highest of 30% of your adjusted monthly income, 10% of your monthly income, or the minimum rent (up to $50). At move-in your share can be at most 40% of adjusted income.
How to apply: Apply at your local public housing agency while its waiting list is open; you can apply to several. After you get a voucher you have at least 60 days to find a home.

The Housing Choice Voucher program, still called Section 8, helps families with low incomes, older people and people with disabilities rent a home in the private market. HUD funds it and about 2,000 local public housing agencies run it. You find the home; the agency pays its share of the rent straight to the landlord, and you pay the rest.

Below: who qualifies, HUD’s 2026 income limits and how to read your own county’s, what you pay in rent, how to find your housing agency and get on its waiting list, what happens when your name comes up, moving with a voucher, and what to do if you are denied. Every rule comes from HUD’s regulations in 24 C.F.R. parts 5 and 982 or from HUD itself. Part of our Housing guides.

This page covers the voucher. Public housing (apartments owned by a housing agency) uses the same income limits; ask the agency about its own list. For your rights as a renter in any home, see tenant rights.

Who qualifies for Section 8

To get a voucher, the household must be a family as the agency defines it, be income-eligible, and include at least one citizen or person with eligible immigration status. 24 C.F.R. § 982.201(a)

Income at or under the very low-income limit. In most cases, the family’s income must not exceed HUD’s very low-income limit for the area: 50% of the area median, adjusted for family size. A few low-income families, up to 80%, can qualify too, such as families already assisted under the 1937 Housing Act or families displaced from certain HUD-insured housing.24 C.F.R. § 982.201(b)(1)
Most new vouchers go to the lowest incomes. At least 75% of the families an agency admits from its waiting list each year must be extremely low income: at or under 30% of the area median or the federal poverty guideline, whichever is higher.24 C.F.R. § 982.201(b)(2) · § 5.603
Citizenship or eligible immigration status. Each member declares citizenship or eligible immigration status in writing; the agency can ask for proof.24 C.F.R. § 5.508
Social Security numbers. Applicants give the Social Security number of each household member who has one.24 C.F.R. § 5.216(b)
Screening. Agencies must deny anyone subject to lifetime sex offender registration and anyone ever convicted of making methamphetamine in federally assisted housing, and must deny for 3 years after an eviction from federally assisted housing for drug-related criminal activity. Agencies set other screening rules in their plans.24 C.F.R. § 982.553(a)

Quick guide

Where are you in the Section 8 process?

1. Where are you now?

Answer one or two questions to see which part of this page applies to you.

Rehearse the eligibility interview

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Section 8 income limits for 2026

HUD publishes three income limits for every county and metro area, by household size: extremely low income (30% of the area median), very low income (50%) and low income (80%), with adjustments for areas where housing costs are unusually high or low. The 2026 limits took effect on May 1, 2026, a month later than usual because census data came late. HUD Notice PDR-2026-02 · 24 C.F.R. § 5.603

Very low-income (50%) limits for 2026, the line most families must be under, in ten of the largest places:

Place (HUD area)	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people	7 people	8 people
New York City	$59,400	$67,850	$76,350	$84,800	$91,600	$98,400	$105,200	$111,950
Los Angeles County	$58,300	$66,650	$74,950	$83,300	$89,950	$96,600	$103,250	$110,000
Chicago (Cook County)	$42,550	$48,600	$54,700	$60,750	$65,650	$70,500	$75,350	$80,200
Houston (Harris County)	$36,400	$41,600	$46,800	$52,000	$56,200	$60,350	$64,500	$68,650
Phoenix (Maricopa County)	$39,350	$45,000	$50,600	$56,200	$60,700	$65,200	$69,700	$74,200
Philadelphia	$42,950	$49,100	$55,250	$61,350	$66,300	$71,200	$76,100	$81,000
Dallas County	$42,400	$48,450	$54,500	$60,550	$65,400	$70,250	$75,100	$79,950
Miami-Dade County	$47,700	$54,500	$61,300	$68,100	$73,550	$79,000	$84,450	$89,900
Atlanta (Fulton County)	$41,250	$47,150	$53,050	$58,900	$63,650	$68,350	$73,050	$77,750
Seattle (King County)	$57,550	$65,800	$74,000	$82,200	$88,800	$95,400	$101,950	$108,550

All three limits for a household of 4, with HUD’s 2026 median family income for the area:

Place	Extremely low (30%)	Very low (50%)	Low (80%)	Area median family income
New York City	$50,900	$84,800	$135,700	$104,300
Los Angeles County	$50,000	$83,300	$133,250	$108,100
Chicago (Cook County)	$36,450	$60,750	$97,200	$121,500
Houston (Harris County)	$33,000	$52,000	$83,200	$104,000
Phoenix (Maricopa County)	$33,700	$56,200	$89,900	$112,400
Philadelphia	$36,800	$61,350	$98,150	$122,700
Dallas County	$36,350	$60,550	$96,900	$121,100
Miami-Dade County	$40,850	$68,100	$109,000	$89,800
Atlanta (Fulton County)	$35,350	$58,900	$94,250	$117,800
Seattle (King County)	$49,300	$82,200	$116,650	$164,400

How to read your own county’s limits. On huduser.gov, open HUD Income Limits, choose FY 2026 and your state and county, and read the row for your household size: “Extremely Low Income”, “Very Low (50%) Income” and “Low (80%) Income”. Count everyone who will live with you, and compare the family’s total yearly income before taxes. Your housing agency uses the limits for the area where you apply. HUD Income Limits, huduser.gov

Tip. The limits are the same for Section 8 and public housing. A city can have a high median and still lower limits than a neighbor: HUD caps and adjusts them by formula, which is why Chicago’s four-person 50% limit ($60,750) is lower than Miami-Dade’s ($68,100) even though Chicago’s median is higher.

How much rent you pay with a voucher

Your share, the total tenant payment, is the highest of: 30% of your adjusted monthly income, 10% of your monthly income, the part of any welfare payment set aside for housing, or the agency’s minimum rent, which can be up to $50. 24 C.F.R. §§ 5.628(a), 5.630(a)

Adjusted income is your yearly income minus deductions the regulation sets: $480 for each dependent and $525 for an elderly or disabled family, amounts HUD adjusts each year for inflation, plus certain medical, attendant-care and child-care costs. 24 C.F.R. § 5.611(a)

The agency pays the landlord the lower of its payment standard or the unit’s gross rent (rent plus utilities), minus your total tenant payment. The agency sets its payment standards between 90% and 110% of HUD’s fair market rent. If you choose a unit that costs more than the payment standard, you pay the difference, but when you first move in your share can be at most 40% of your adjusted monthly income. 24 C.F.R. §§ 982.505(b), 982.503(c), 982.508

Example: income. A parent with 2 children earns $24,000 a year. Two dependent deductions of $480 leave adjusted income of $23,040, or $1,920 a month.
Your share. 30% of $1,920 is $576; 10% of the monthly income ($2,000) is $200. The higher one, $576, is the total tenant payment.
The agency’s share. With a payment standard of $1,600 and a unit renting for $1,500 including utilities, the agency pays $924 and the family pays $576.
A unit above the payment standard. At $1,700, the family pays $576 plus the $100 over the payment standard: $676, under the 40% cap of $768.

How to apply for Section 8

Find your public housing agency. Use HUD’s Public Housing Agency directory to find the agencies that serve the city or county where you want to live. You do not have to live there already.
Apply while a waiting list is open. Agencies open and close their lists and announce openings in local newspapers and other media; the notice says where and when to apply and who may apply. You can apply to more than one agency.
Fill in the application. List everyone in the household and every source of income. Agencies typically ask for pay stubs and bank information, benefit letters such as SSI or SNAP, and proof of citizenship and Social Security cards.
Keep your contact details current. Tell the agency when your mailing address, phone number or household size changes. An agency can remove applicants who do not answer its requests.

Tip. If you lived outside the agency’s area when you applied, it can require you to rent in its area for the first 12 months before you move with the voucher. 24 C.F.R. § 982.353(c) · hud.gov

Checklist

Ready to apply for Section 8?

Tick each item you have ready.

The housing agencies for the area where you want to live, and which lists are open
Everyone who will live with you, and the Social Security number of each person who has one 24 C.F.R. § 5.216
Proof of income for everyone: pay stubs, and benefit letters such as SSI or SNAP
Bank account information
A signed declaration of citizenship or eligible immigration status for each person 24 C.F.R. § 5.508
A mailing address and phone number you will keep up to date
If someone has a disability: a written request for any accommodation you need 24 C.F.R. § 982.204(c)(2)

Tick each item as you get it ready.

Rehearse the eligibility interview

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The waiting list

Order. The agency selects families from its waiting list by the rules in its administrative plan: the date and time of application and any local preferences, such as veterans or people with disabilities. It may not order the list by family size.24 C.F.R. §§ 982.204(a), (d), 982.207
Open and closed lists. When the list is open, the agency must accept applications from the families it is open to, unless it has good cause to deny. It may close the list when it has enough applicants.24 C.F.R. § 982.206
Removed for not answering. If a family member’s disability is why you did not answer the agency, it must put you back in your former place.24 C.F.R. § 982.204(c)(2)

Waits are often long: reaching the top depends on how many vouchers the agency has, when you applied and your preferences. You can ask the agency for your place on the list. hud.gov: Housing Choice Voucher Tenants

When your name comes up: the voucher and your new home

Eligibility check and briefing. The agency verifies your income and household, then holds a briefing on how the program works.
The voucher and the search. The voucher gives you at least 60 calendar days to find a unit; agencies often allow 60 to 120 days and can extend it. With a disability, you can ask for the extension you need as a reasonable accommodation.
Request for tenancy approval. You and the landlord fill in the request. The clock stops while the agency decides on it.
Inspection and rent check. The agency inspects the unit for health and safety and checks that the rent is reasonable for the area.
Lease and contract. You sign the lease; the landlord and the agency sign the housing assistance contract, and payments begin.

Tip. Some cities and states bar landlords from refusing tenants because they pay with a voucher. Ask your agency what local law says. 24 C.F.R. §§ 982.303, 982.305 · hud.gov

Keeping your voucher, and moving with it

Family obligations. Report changes in income and household, recertify every year, live in the unit as your home, allow inspections and follow the lease.24 C.F.R. § 982.551
Portability. A voucher holder can generally move anywhere in the United States where an agency runs the program, after notifying the agency and ending the current lease properly.24 C.F.R. § 982.353(b)

Denied, or losing your assistance

Applicants: an informal review. The agency must give prompt written notice of a denial with the reasons and explain how to ask for an informal review by someone who did not make the decision. You can object in writing or in person.24 C.F.R. § 982.554
Participants: an informal hearing. If you already have assistance, decisions about your income, your rent, your unit size or ending your assistance must be open to an informal hearing.24 C.F.R. § 982.555(a)

Ask for the review or the hearing by the date in the notice. A legal aid office can help; see find legal help.

Getting help

Tenant rightsRepairs, entry, deposits and eviction, for every renter.Eviction noticesHow much notice a landlord must give, by state.Find a lawyer or free legal aidLegal aid, bar referral services and court help centers by state.

Common questions about Section 8

Who qualifies for Section 8?

Families whose income is at or under 50% of the area median (HUD’s very low-income limit) in most cases, who are citizens or have eligible immigration status, and who pass the agency’s screening. Three-quarters of new vouchers go to families at or under 30%.

What is the income limit for Section 8 in 2026?

It depends on your county and household size. For a family of four the 50% limit is $84,800 in New York City, $83,300 in Los Angeles County, $60,750 in Chicago and $52,000 in Houston. Check your county on huduser.gov.

How much rent will I pay with Section 8?

Usually 30% of your adjusted monthly income, or 10% of your monthly income or the minimum rent (up to $50) if higher. If you pick a unit above the payment standard you pay the difference, up to 40% of adjusted income when you move in.

How do I apply for Section 8?

Through your local public housing agency, while its waiting list is open. HUD’s Public Housing Agency directory lists them; you can apply to more than one.

Is it hard to get Section 8 housing?

Waiting lists are often long and many are closed. Your turn depends on the vouchers available, when you applied and any preferences you qualify for.

How long do I have to find a place with a voucher?

At least 60 days; many agencies give 60 to 120 days and can extend it. Ask for an extension before it runs out.

Can I move to another state with Section 8?

Generally yes, through portability. If you lived outside the agency’s area when you applied, it can make you stay in its area for the first 12 months.

What can I do if I am denied Section 8?

Ask for the informal review described in the denial notice, by its deadline. Participants who lose assistance can ask for an informal hearing.

Official sources

This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice about your situation. Justice is not a law firm and is not affiliated with any court or government agency.